This year, the top quarterback, Cam Newton, is not being drafted until the mid 3rd round.

Let that sink in. The quartback position has been devalued so much, that you can load up on two top-tier running backs or wide receivers, and still draft the #1 quarterback.

No doubt, the Late Round Quarterback theory promoted by JJ Zachariason and others has had something to do with this change. It is surprising how drastic the change is across the board and how widely accepted that theory has now become.

Since Cam is the top QB this year, let’s look at his ADP in more detail to see if it has a chance of rising. Below is his ADP trend for the past month in 12-team fantasy football mock drafts.

Cam Newton

Cam Newton’s average draft position is holding steady around 3.05 in standard 12-team leagues. Considering that he was the top fantasy quarterback last year, and he’s getting back his best weapon in Kelvin Benjamin, the third round could be a steal for him.

The latest reports, however, are that he “hasn’t looked particularly sharp”. And there are some who believe he will regress from last year’s big numbers. Those doubts will likely keep his ADP depressed and outside of the top two rounds.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you’re drafting with knowledgeable players, you will likely still see Newton’s name in the 3rd round. However, if you are drafting with inexperienced fantasy football players, they may not know that quarterback values have plummetted this year and may draft Newton earlier than his ADP.

Conclusion

No matter what the reasons, Cam Newton, and the rest of the quarterbacks this year are being drafted significantly lower than in past years.